We are still in the heart of engagement season (that's right, Valentine's Day is coming up). Which means many new couples will begin their wedding planning early this year. With wedding costs on the rise (the average wedding is now between $20-30k depending on the area) it is good to know some ways to cut costs in general. Here are a few tips we think are noteworthy:
1. Cut down.Have 100 guests instead of 150. Have a buffet instead of a 5 course meal. Have 3 bridesmaids instead of 7.

2. Loosen up. The less formal the affair, the more affordable. Instead of a sit down hotel dinner, go for a casual brunch or appetizer only event.

3. Pick and choose. Go for a designer dress but skip the expensive shoes and accessories, serve cake but skip the candy/dessert bar. Have an amazing photographer but settle on having cousin Doug in film school videotaping the event.

4. Hire a wedding planner!Wedding planners are professionals and know even more ways to save and cut costs, they even get discounts with many of the wedding vendors who would normally charge you full price. (Hey, I think I know a planner...)

Stay tuned for more tips on getting started with planning your wedding!

Talk about a beautiful April day! We really lucked out on the weather for this amazing wedding, the girls were prepared with rain jackets and umbrellas and didn't even need them! These two fun-loving lawyers, Anissa & Brendan celebrated their wedding in the gorgeous city of Mukilteo, WA near the waterfront. After the ceremony at St. John's Catholic Church, guests & the wedding party headed over to Rosehill Community Center to celebrate. Their photographer, Amanda Lloyd was able to catch some amazing shots. We are loving the photos of them in the getaway car! Talk about looking like stars of their own romance film! Not to mention, Anissa's stunning dress and lovely flowers from Stem. Wonderful eats were provided by Cabbage Patch Catering and cake from Happy Cakes, as guests danced the night away to music from Bugsie Productions, even busting out some glow sticks for a dance party at the end of the night!

Wow! This couple just celebrated their one year anniversary! Time has flown by, but the memories of this amazing day still remain.
Justin and Nicole got married on the pier in Seattle and had their reception indoors at the Bell Harbor Conference Center. Talk about amazing views for the ceremony! Beforehand the couple had some fun and took pictures with their bridal party on Justin's family's boat and the girls sashayed around with their colorful parasols.

It was a joyous event; as the sunset over the Puget Sound, guests enjoyed a fabulous dinner, some tasty cake and danced the night away.

Hey there! This summer has been flying by! Wedding season is in full swing, and we are grateful to have a little help this summer. We have two amazing new interns on our team this year and would love to share a little about them! Meet Samantha & Kate!
Samantha K.

Tell us about where your from and what you are in school for. I was born in San Jose, CA but at age of 5 I moved to Poland and lived there for 15 years. I came to Seattle around 5 years ago. I chose Seattle because it’s a very artistic city which I love and also I have family here and since I was moved from a completely different culture, I thought I would need some help and it’s always nice to have someone around just in case. (Sam is in school for event planning at Edmonds CC)

What is your favorite Disney movie? I love all the old school Disney movies like “Dumbo” or “ 101 Dalmatians” but my favorite would be “Mulan”. I love how that movie shows little girls that women can do incredible things as good or event better then men. I always had a strong female figures around me growing up so I always love watching women kick ass.

If you had to choose your last meal ever, what would it be? Lemon soup... I know it sounds weird but my mom makes the best lemon soup, it’s served with rice. I think it’s known only in Poland but I love it!

Why wedding planning? I always enjoyed planning parties for family and friends everyone always seemed to really enjoyed my parties. I never thought I would fall in love with weddings so much but it’s such a beautiful celebration of life and being part of this magical day, a new beginning in couples life, it brings me a lot of joy. I always wanted to do something that will make people smile and I finally found it. I feel like a fairy godmother and it’s the best feeling in the world to know you made someone’s dream come true. This is the day they will be remembering for the rest of their lives and I couldn't be more honored to be part of it.

Your favorite thing about working for IYDEE? I love working with Christina & Ashley because they let me try new things and are just really fun to work with. I get to learn and experience something new every single time. For someone who’s just starting out like myself, Ashley & Christina are ideal mentors and I’m just really happy I get to work with them, very inspiring young women.

Your guilty pleasure? Green mint ice cream! I can eat tons of it and don’t care how fat it will make me.

What is your Starbucks order? Cinnamon dolche late

Something a lot of people don't know about me is: Something a lot of people don’t know about me is in my free time I write song lyrics. Most people write in diaries and I write lyrics about my life.

In this job, I learned that when I get married, I : In this job, I learned that when I get married, I will know how to stay on budget. For me it has always been the biggest problem as well as I learned a lot about importance of details. But I think the most important part will be to have an event coordinator day of. I don’t want to stress out and worry about time or if all the vendors are on time so I will definitely have someone to take care of it so I can enjoy my day.

Your personal advice for the newly engaged bride? My personal advice for a bride to be would be definitely hire a wedding coordinator; if you can’t afford full planning then at least day of. A lot of people think it’s easy but it’s so much more work, most people don’t realize, to have a professional to help you that way you can be positive you will have a dream wedding. Also give yourself enough time to plan everything slowly step by step.

Kate B.

Tell us about where your from and what you are in school for. Hometown: Shoreline, WA. Currently at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA studying Psychology.

What is your favorite Disney movie? Monsters Inc.

If you had to choose your last meal ever, what would it be? A turkey sandwich. It's a weird obsession .

Why wedding planning? I'm very detail oriented and love planning. Wedding planning allows me to see each and every little detail fall into place to create a beautiful event. And it's so much fun!

Your favorite thing about working for IYDEE?Working with such fun, laid-back wedding coordinators!

Your guilty pleasure? Watching crime TV shows. And the Bachelor.

What is your Starbucks order? Iced vanilla macchiato

Something a lot of people don't know about me is: I used to be a ski racer.

In this job, I learned that when I get married: I'll have a tough time making decisions. There are so many options!

Personal advice for the newly engaged bride:Relax! Planning your wedding should be enjoyable, and having the help of wedding coordinators like Ashley and Christina will make the process a whole lot easier, less stressful, and more fun!

We met Julia only a couple weeks before her wedding, and we didn't meet Deric until the Big Day. He was the man in a sharp dressed black tux, flocked by two swanky looking groomsmen in white tuxes. Looking good was definitely in order, as this couple got married at the famous Escala Condos, home to the notorious Christian Grey, from the book 50 Shades of Grey. As lovers of this book, we were super excited when we were brought on board. The venue was complete with an elegant staircase, wine cellar and patio ceremony with a roaring fireplace in the background. The venue looked amazing, with flowers provided by Ravenna Bloom, as well as person elements like the paper crane altar backdrop, and expressions in beautiful calligraphy from Carolyn Kach design. Amazing food was prepared by Lisa Dupar Catering and the delicious dessert was provided by our favorite dessert place as well, Hot Cakes. The music was provided by A Sounds Unlimited, the DJ spun some awesome songs and the night ended with some amazing dance moves! Photos provided by Carina Skrobecki Photography.

We met Sara back a couple years ago when she inquired with us about an intern opening during a wedding show...and decided to hire her on for the summer season of 2012. Good thing we did...Sara is one of those rare gems. We couldn't let her go after her internship was up, so she is now officially part of the IYDEE team as an Associate Planner! She is an incredibly hard worker, smart, creative, funny- and not to mention she has become a true friend to us both! Get to know a little bit more about Sara and why she is so awesome. I interviewed her a little about herself and about being a wedding planner! Read on to hear more about this lovely lady!

1. Tell us about where your from and what you went to school for.

I grew up in Spokane, Washington- we moved there from Mesa, Arizona just before I turned 3. I lived there until I transferred to Western Washington University! I went to school two years at Eastern Washington, before transferring, and graduating from Western Washington with a degree in Business Administration and Management.

2. What is your favorite Disney movie?

My favorite Disney movie is Mulan. I like the girl power in that movie, and the animals crack me up.

I have always planned the events and vacations for my friends and family. I would say that the planning of those gave me the bug! I always dreamed about being a wedding planner, so I finally took the plunge and enrolled in an online event planning course. The event planning course was great, but not hands on- I was looking for something more. So I went to the Snohomish Wedding Guild, and tried to meet wedding planners, I asked if anyone needed a summer intern. That of course, is where I found the amazing gals of It Your Day Events…and the rest is history!

5. Your favorite thing about working for IYDEE?

My favorite thing about working with IYDEE is the team. We have such a good time during each and every event that I find myself wishing we had events to work all day every day. The best part is that I know we can accomplish anything between the three of us. It can be anything from bussing tables to going on a beer run- and a good time will still be had by all.

6. If Sara isn't planning weddings or flying as a flight attendant you can find her__________?

Running, reading or traveling more!

7. A fond memory of a wedding so far?We worked a wedding at Hidden Meadows in 2013- I loved the set up of that wedding! However, there is something I enjoy out of each of the weddings we work- set up, details, flowers, dessert, dances, toasts etc etc etc!!

8. In this job, I learned that when I get married, I __________________.

I want to have elements in my wedding that pertain to myself and my future husbands relationship. We worked one wedding that, for their dinner, they served the meal that the couple ate together on their first date.

9. Your personal advice for the newly engaged bride?

My advice would be to take your time, don’t try to take on too many elements at once (that’s what coordinators are for!) and to make sure you enjoy it!

10. Random wild card?!

I worked at a YMCA summer camp for four summers, my camp name was Sara “Toga” Northey.

Amy & Eddie are an amazing dynamic duo that have known each other since high school. The two had rekindled their friendship a few years out of school which in turn blossomed into the beautiful romance you see today.
With Amy being a professional dancer, along with some of the wedding party and many guests, this wedding at the beautiful Tulalip Resort Casino Orca Ballroom made for one heck of a dance party!

The couple incorporated their love of music into their theme of orange, purple and grey with chevrons. Beautiful fresh flowers, large orange round balloons and many, many paper cranes plus lots of little handmade personal expression touches added great accents to the wedding.

CREATE LIFE. Give back to mother earth & commemorate your wedding day by planting a tree. Plantamemory.Com’s Spruce Evergreen party favors are unique & great for the environment. The tree seedlings come packaged in an eco­friendly box, equipped with a personalized card made from recycled paper. Plus, the more you buy, the cheaper they come. Fifty guests? Pay $3.15/seedling.

FEEL A BIODYNAMIC BUZZ. Biodynamic wines are 100% organic, which means they exclude the use of nasty pesticides & synthetic fertilizers. Growers of biodynamic wines create their own compost, & like astrologists, use the stars & planets to help guide them. Save soil —sip biodynamic wine. For more information on biodynamic wines visit: thedailygreen.com

GIVE THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING. Present your bridesmaids with a gift Mother Theresa would love. A beaded bracelet goes for $16.00 at Spark Tree on Etsy.Com. Seven of those sixteen dollars are donated to Drop in the Bucket, a non­profit organization dedicated to building sanitation systems & wells in Sub­Sahara African schools. Often when a well is built, enrollment doubles. Give the gift of water & education with this trendy accessory.

PLAY MARRY POPPINS. Instead of using rice for your send off, use bird feed & teach your guests the importance of feeding the birds.

More & more couples are adding eco-friendly & charitable elements to their wedding day. The four listed above are just to name a few! For more ideas visit: eco-beautifulweddings.com/blog/

In high school, I was very active in my school's DECA (Marketing) class/club. My first year in the class as a Junior, our teacher, Mr. P had assigned myself and 3 of my good friends to be in charge of the Giving Tree event that year. This involved a lot of planning, organizing, and follow through, and this; as far as I can remember, and other then planning out my own birthday parties, was my first real taste of event planning. After the Giving Tree Event, I went on to become the DECA Co-Publicity Director my Senior Year with my friend Kristi and we took on several other small events, and decor scenarios and campaigns etc. From here on out I KNEW I wanted to do something in the event field!
When it came time for me to go to college, I chose to go to Western Washington University in beautiful Bellingham and persue my degree in Communication. Communication is more of a broad spectrum degree that can lead to careers in many things, but I did focus my studies on event planning courses and took my final internship course for the Downtown Bellingham Association, helping plan a Summer Outdoor Concert Series. By then, I knew planning events was REALLY what I wanted to do.

So, I had graduated college and a few years had gone by and I had started thinking about how the job I was in wasn't really what I wanted to do, and I still had hopes for my event planning dreams. Meanwhile, many of my friends had started to get married, and I realized what a big, exciting, stressful, fantastic & crazy thing weddings were.

All the while, Christina (my best friend) is off doing her creative thing on the side, like making earrings and creating wedding cards and invites.

We talked it over one day and realized we could definitely combine our forces; with Christina's creative flair and business mind & my event planning sense and both our love for weddings, thus, It's Your Day Events & Expressions was born.

We have been in business for over 4 years and loved every minute of it! We have been in King 5's Best of Western Washington Top 5 Wedding Planner for the last 3 years in a row!

The thing that I love most about this business is that we get to see an event from start to finish AND all the amazing couples we get to meet. It is truly a humbling experience and an honor to be able to share in their special day. What I love about this job is that I get to do it with my very best friend!

Meet Annie our bride, getting married this July 5th at the beautiful Rock Creek Gardens. I asked Annie a few questions about her and her fiance Joe. Read on to find out about the story of a young beauty and a military man who instantly clicked on their first date and plan to spend their life together! Also, read about the great wedding planning tip she has for other brides!How did you and Joe meet?

Joe and I met on Match.com August 2010 and September 17,2010 was our first date. We met at the Panera Bread in Federal Way. The date lasted 5 hours. It wasn't a typical date, we went to an arcade after eating and challenged each other to table hockey, skee ball, basketball toss, and a few others. In the end, he did win more games than me but that's ok. It was a lot of fun. We had all these tickets from our games so we traded them in for plastic colored vampire teeth and walked around The Commons with them in our mouths. Then we went to Borders books and hung out in the kid's section because it had a cool couch to lay on. We both were laying on it and talking about memories as a child. Then....we caught eyes and leaned closer to each for our first kiss. By the second date we both knew we had found something special and by January of the next year we exchanged 'I love you's', in March we got a dog together and by May I had moved in. Before we knew it we were a family before our one year anniversary came around.

How did he propose?

I was hoping for a proposal by one year but it didn't happen, that's ok maybe for my birthday. How awesome would that have been. Nope didn't happen for my birthday. So at that point I knew it wasn't going to happen before our two year anniversary. Little did I know he was planning the proposal since May of 2012. But it didn't happen until August 26, 2012. It was a nice Sunday and we wanted to spend it with our two dogs. We went to the dog park then down to Ruston Way in Tacoma. On our walk on Ruston Way we stopped at a sundial and I spotted one of our friends running by and I thought it was strange she was running in jeans with a camera in hand. I called her over and while I was trying to figure out why she was there, Joe turned me around and he was down on one knee. It was a flash of excitement and then I heard "Will you marry me?" I tried to compose myself and when I did I said YES!.

What is the inspiration and theme for your wedding date?

We already knew that July 5th was our date before he even proposed because many our guest were going to be out of towners, so it made sense to us to make it for that weekend because the military gets a 4 day weekend. Joe is a Captain in the Army and many of his friends are also in the Army so they get that long weekend off as well.

The theme of our wedding is vintage romance and pictures through the ages. I love seeing pictures of me as a child and I knew it had to be a part of the wedding. I have been gather pictures of both Joe and I's family to incorporate in a few aspects of the wedding. It really started forming as a theme when I was exploring Pinterest. What a great site to get ideas from and I just took it from there. I am looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.

What is one wedding planning tip you have for other brides?

The one tip I have for brides and future brides is get yourself a wedding planner or day of coordinator. I am absolutely thankful for the knowledge and expert industry opinion I have my amazing planners Christina and Ashley. When I needed Christina to go to bat for me on an issue I was having she jumped on it and fixed it in a snap. Get a planner!

“I didn’t want it to stop”; that was the consensus of this fantastic late September wedding that took place in Woodinville last year.
BROOKE & CLAY September 22nd, 2012

When you first meet Brooke and Clay, you are instantly greeted with the friendliest of smiles from each of them; their smiles were infectious, and I found myself smiling bigger! Brooke & Clay are Oak Harbor natives, and high school sweethearts.

Their wedding took place on September 22nd, 2012 at Willows Lodge in beautiful Woodinville, Washington. Their guest count was about 160, and this group of people made for quite a night.

As the wedding day started, Brooke resided in the Bridal suite, surrounded by her bridal party of 5 which included, her nearest and dearest friends from childhood, college, as well as her Sister in Law. In the Suite down the hall, Clay and his Groomsmen were up to the same! As the couple got prepped for the big day, they sipped on complementary wine and bubbly while exchanging gifts of appreciation to their bridal party. The groomsmen were decked out in grey and black tuxes, rented from Men’s Wearhouse. The bridesmaids were dressed in Ann Taylor Chiffon grey dresses; in a variety of different styles to fit each lovely lady.

Brooke’s dress was breathtaking and it completely encompassed the beautiful bride she was meant to be. She wore a La Sposa dress named Sala from the 2012 DREAMS COLLECTION. Her dress was made with fine knit tulle and Paris organza-- bottom line this dress was stunning on Brooke (see pictures below). Brooke had her hair swept to the side, curled and embellished with a beautiful fresh hair flower; her style was fresh, and all her own.

Brooke and Clay were married under the grand pergola which was adorned with two vibrant late summer flower swags to frame the couple as they said their vows. The aisle was decorated in colorful wild flowers in sweet glass vases that were hanging off each chair end. The ceremony included the most famous of all ring “bears” as their dog Gussy, was called up to hand over the wedding bands.

After the beautiful ceremony, guests were ushered over to the cocktail hour, where they sipped on drinks and were asked to sign the couple’s guest book that was in the form of a tree swing. Cocktail hour was full friends and family, mingling, laughing and enjoying the delicious appetizers, and refreshing summer drinks. Guests were then invited to take a seat in the grand ball room to welcome the new Mr. & Mrs. Tacia. The tables were set with stunning stemware and rectangular flower boxes, which had flowers cascading over the edges to give a lush look. The soft lighting and the flicker of tea lights gave off the perfect amount of ambiance. The couple was toasted into the reception, as folks dined on fresh seafood, fresh fruit, salmon, and beef tenderloin. After which, the happy couple headed over to their lavish set up of cupcakes, and had their cake cutting. The rest of the evening included great drinks, dancing, and great memories that will last a life time. These great memories were all captured by Aaron and Malinda Warder, of Warder Photo, a fantastic husband and wife photography team. It was one of the best weddings I have ever been to and was able to help plan. Not only for the clients and the experience I gained, but from the friendships that I was able to make during the planning process; friendships that have forever changed my life.

Thank you Brooke and Clay, and family for letting me help out with such an amazing wedding! Love,

Carly & Jesse are the classic story of young love. She was a sorority girl & he a frat boy...need we say more? Well, we will! The beautiful ceremony took place at the charming Bellevue First Congressional Church and the reception was held high amongst the city of Bellevue on the 25th floor of the Symetra Financial Building, downtown. Needless to say, the views were breathtaking. The decor was simple, classic, and mostly purple!
With an amazing staff and crew, the evening went off beautifully. The bride looked absolutely radiant and the groom happy and handsome as ever!

The night did not end until both the sorority and frat had each done their special chant to celebrate the event.

At evening end, the bride & groom whisked off in the limo headed to their hotel, then off to Oahu! Congrats to Carly & Jesse!

Hello There! Are you engaged or know someone who is? This year we are hosting our 2nd annual give away for FREE WEDDING PLANNING!
What do I win? One lucky couple will be selected to win a free 2 hour planning session on whatever wedding details you would like! Discuss decor ideas, have us help you with a timeline, go over missing details etc! Winner will also receive an immense discount of 50% off any other packages or services if chosen. IE, day-of coordination or a la carte services.

Sounds great, how do I enter? Send us your name, wedding date, a photo of you & your fiance, your venue and a brief description of why you deserve to win! TO: info@itsyourdayevents.com

Details: Deadline is February 24th, 2013 11:59pm pst. Winner will be chosen and notified between February 25th and 28th, 2013. Wedding date must be taking place between March 1 and June 30th, 2013 OR Oct 1, 2013-June 30th 2014.

Kim & Kevin are an amazing couple that got married at none other then the Woodland Park ZOO! The ceremony took place in a beautiful grassy area called the Beech Grove. Even though the location was in the middle of the zoo, the surrounding trees made for a very intimate and beautiful ceremony.
Afterward, guests retreated to the wonderfully made up Rainforest Cafe to celebrate the new couple. Guests enjoyed a memorable slide show from the fathers and had some fun in the Photo Booth from 3-2-1 Foto. The food was delicious, the dancing was entertaining and the guests were left with a fun and very fitting favor of animal cookies adorned with a cute little thank you note from the couple.

What a great amazing honor to share in the special day of these two! Kirby & Derek are in fact old friends/classmates of ours from high school. However, even though they went to the same HS, they did not know of each other until a chance meeting one day a few years back. (See their "Love Story" in the photos below.)
It was a beautiful sunny day on August 11th and the bride looked amazing in her dress, the groom very stunning [slideshow]in his tux, in fact the whole bridal party looked sharp, right down to the 5 flower girls in their black tutus!

The room was adorned in coral, black and ivory with wine bottle and cork accents, with a slight vintage touch. To top it all off was a GI Joe grooms cake and a favor cookie bar from The Cookie Lady!

Here at It's Your Day, we not only provide fabulous wedding and event planning services that ensures you have a fun and stress free event, but we also have our "expressions" division of the business.
The expressions division is led by the one and only, very talented Christina! We can create you custom designed items to help express your special event or your life!

Prices range, please inquire within. We are now taking pre-orders for one of a kind handmade holiday cards. Mention this blog and get 15% off. (Holiday cards- through Dec 8th). Prices range $8-14 for a pack of 10 handmade cards.

Happy Fall! Here at It's Your Day, we are always trying to think of new ideas of how we can help our customers, past and future. A recent concept we came up with, is event set up & take down services! Stay tuned for our rental catalogue!
Event Set-up and Tear-down

July 21st, 2012! It was a gorgeous day for a wedding on the Kirkland waterfront, at the always lovely Woodmark! We arrived to Woodmark to find the Marina Room filled with Gillian's flowers- they smelled amazing. Her flowers were very romantic and lush; garden roses, lilies, and in her color pallet of coral, white, green with navy blue vases; crisp and nautical. She was getting ready in her suite, surrounded by all her bridesmaids and moms as the men were getting ready down the way! Gillian looked so beautiful in her lace dress, with an elegant pale grey silk ribbon around her waist. She was a vision! Mitch and his boys looked equally handsome! Courtney Bowlden of Courtney Bowlden Photography was busy snapping up shots of this great couple! Here is a peek into their day!

I loves this last one! It looks as though they are celebrities, making a get away!

We here at It's Your Day were very much looking forward to this wedding! It was at the beautiful Swan Trail Farms located in Snohomish Wa.
Friday the 22nd came, along with the clouds and rain, which all in all made for a very close and romantic ceremony underneath the covered area at Swan Trail Farms. As the decorations were set up and the tables set, we watched as the rows of seats filled in time for the ceremony to begin, and the groom getting more antsy to see his beautiful bride. Finally, it was time to walk, and walk the they did, all 9 groomsmen, and 9 Bridesmaids. In the middle of the vows, there was a huge clap of thunder, which we have read is very good luck! After the vows, they made their way into cocktail hour to mingle with friends and family. The tables were decorated with candles in mason jars wrapped with lace or twine, and each table number was a twine wrapped wine bottle, with a rustic table number. The colors were soft and dreamy and rustic, with romance all around. At each seat, there was a sweet message from the bride & groom. The wedding hosted an awesome DJ who played some amazing music all night long, as well as a live song performance accompanied by a wonderfully heart touching slideshow. Our favorite part about this wedding , besides the awesome Bride and Groom, was the love and warmth that was surrounding them all evening, it was so genuine and real, and focused, it was really awe-inspiring. We absolutely were honored to be part of such a beautiful couple's day! We wish them only happiness, and love forever!

Dena & Cameron were the winners of our contest for free Day-of Coordination (see previous post). We were so excited when the day finally arrived and we were able to coordinate their wedding at the absolutely beautiful St. James Cathedral in Seattle.
Dena looked amazing in her sleeping beauty dress and Cam so handsome in his tux.